Centrifugal beet cutter



June 29, 1965 P. LlcHKo ETAL CENTRIFUGAL BEET CUTTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1961 Illllli Hmm ATTQRNEYs June 29 1965 1. P. LlQHKo Erm. 3,191,659

GENTRIFUGAL BEET GUTTER Filed April 18, 1961 3 SheetSS/heb 5 x ITIIIMIII` ENT OR` IVAN PETRO ICH LIC/'IKO VAS/LY M/CH/LOV/CH KNEIVSKY KIR/LL ALEXA '70H0 WCH DER Y ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,191,650 CENTRIFUGAL EEET CUTTER ivan Petrovich Lichko, Vasiiy Michailovieh Kamenslry, and Kirill Alexandrovich Dery, all' of Kiev, U.S.S.R., assignors to Kievsiri Mashinostroitelny zavod Bolshevih Filed Apr. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 130,205 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 14o- 165) `quality of the chips. This is due to the fact that the passage of the beets through the rotor, directing the beets to the vertical knives and forcing the beets against such knives by centrifugal force, is rendered difficult and the beet roots in the course of cutting, change their position in relation to the cutting edges of the knives. Also, in the event of the introduction of any foreign matter such as stones, pieces of metal, straw, etc. capable of blunting and deforming the edges of the knives, removal of such foreign matter is diicult. i

The beet cutter here described is free of such shortcomings. In order to ensure uniform feed of the beets to the'knives and to prevent displacement of the beets in the course of cutting, the bladed rotor has a conical base the radius of curvature of its surface being within 300 mm., while the radius of curvature of the blades extending from the base is within 400 mm. The blades are set atan angle of 45 to the inside surface of the drum and are tted with adjustable wear-resisting tips to provide for adjustment of the clearance between the blades of the rotor and the knives.

To permit removal of the knife-carrying frames during the beet cutting operation, yblind frames are mounted in channels of ports arranged in the drum under the knifecarrying frames and when the blind frames are raised by means of a suitable winch, they operate to force the knife-carrying frames up and move into the spaces previously occupied by thelatter. To permit adjustment of the height of the knife-carrying frames duringV installation, a screw device is provided consisting of a pivotally mounted strap and a screw passing therethrough, the head of the screw engaging a correspondingly shaped supporting slot in the knife-carrying frame and the strap being secured across the ports of the drum.

To ensure free discharge of the beet chips and to exclude any foreign matter during discharging from the drum, the housing of the beet cutter consists of one cylindrical section and two conical sections, and a pocket is also provided for emergency removal of the beets and foreign matter from the drum, and from the machine.

To reduce wear, a wear-resisting lining is provided on the inside surface of the drum, while bands are provided on the upper and lower portions of the rotor. The lower band is fitted with Scrapers to remove the material from the space under the rotor through ports provided in the drum.

Further objects and advantages of Ithe invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is an elevational view with portions in vertical section showing the beet cutter of this invention;

FIG. 2 a top plan view;

FIG. 3 a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the rotor and adjacent structure;

FIG. 4 a top plan view of the rotor;

FIG. 5 a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away and in section and showing the means for adjusting the height of the knife frames; and

Patented June 29, 1965 "ice FIG. 6 atop plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 5.

The principal part of the beet cutter of this invention is a vertically mounted drum 1 having, around the circumference, vertical grooves open at the top, with the knifecarrying frames 2 sliding in the grooves and with the blind frames 3 arranged under the knife-carrying frames. Ports are provide in the drum adjacent the grooves.

Fitted on the outside of the drum 1 are four brackets 4 for securing the beet cutter on a supporting structure.

Inside the drum 1, mounted on a vertical shaft 5 is the rotor with a conical base 6 and three curved blades 7 having adjustable tips 8 at their edges to provide for adjusting the clearance between the blades of the rotor and the knives.

The shape of the rotor is dened by `the radius of curvature R1 of the surface of the conical base 6, this radius being within 300 mm.; the radius of curvature R2 of the blades 7, this radius being within 400 mm.; and the angle otr-45 at which the blades are set to the inside surface of the drum.

The shape of the rotor is determined experimentally, and in conjunction with the adjustment ofthe clearance between the blades of the rotor and the knives by means of-the adjustable tips- 8, -there is provided an optimum beet cutting velocity of 6-9 m./sec., which permits uniform feed of the beets to the knives and also provides high quality beet chips and high output.

The rotor is fitted with an upper band 9 and a shaped lower band 10, the latter carrying Scrapers 11 to remove material from the space under the rotor. When the rotor is running, the scrapers 11 continuously remove this material through the ports 12 in the drum 1.

The bands 9 and 10 are replaceable and serve to extend the life of the rotor, and also facilitate repair of the latter, as worn bands may be replaced or repaired.

A suitable winch 13 is provided to raise the knife-carrying frames 2 out 'of the drum 1 for examination, adjustment or replacement of the knives and the winch may be moved around the drum 1 and fixed over any of the 'grooves in which a knife-carrying frame 2 and a blind frame 3 are installed.`

The winch 13 and the blind frames 3 provide for removal of the knife-carrying frames 2 from the drum 1 during operation of the machine without having to stop it. For this purpose the lower blind frame 3 is engaged by the winch 13 and moved upwardly in engagement with the frame 2 thereby forcing the knife-carrying frame 2 up out of the groove, the blind frame 3 moving into the position previously occupied by the knife-carrying frame 2. To replace the knife-carrying frame 2, the blind frame 3 is pushed down into its original position. The knifecarrying frame 2, when in place, must be adjusted vertically for alignment of the knives to ensure high quality chauneled chips. A special screw device is provided for such adjustment.

This screw device consists of a pivotally mounted swing strap 14 mounted over each groove of the drum 1. Passing through this strap, is a screw 15 having a wrench engaging portion. The head of the screw 15 engages a correspondingly shaped supporting slot 16 in the knifecarrying frame 2. The strap 14, with the screw 15, is secured on the top face of the drum 1 by means of a stud and nut 17. Rotating the screw 15v forward or back, adjusts the height of the knife-carrying frame 2 in the grooves in the drum 1. This adjusting screw device permits adjustment of the machine to provide either flat or hanneled chips depending on the shape of the knives use A hopper 1S is provided over the rotor for receiving beets and the conical shape of the hopper serves to impede the movement of roots relative to each other, and to prevent injury thereto.

The drum 1 is enclosed by a housing consisting of one cylindrical section 19 and two conical sections 20 and 21. This shape of the housing ensures free discharge of the beet chips through the knife-carrying frames 2, and prevents crushing or stalling. To prevent uncut beets and foreign matter passing into the discharge outlet, a pocket 22 with an outlet 23 is provided in the housing of the drum 1. l

Owing to the provision of the pocket 22, the beet and any foreign matter can, in case of emergency, be ejected out of the drum 1 by the action of centrifugal force through the port that is located opposite the pocket 22,

Yafter removal of the knife-carrying frame 2 from such port. Through the outlet 23, the beets and foreign matter are allowed to pass into a suitable receptacle.

The inside surface of the drum 1 is protected by a replaceable armour lining 24 of wear-resisting material to reduce wear on the drum due to the abrasive action of the moving beets.

Vthe drurnA 1 and engage the'rotating blades 7, which,

under action of the centrifugal force, entrain the beets and project the same outwardly into engagement with Vthe knives mounted in the knife-carrying frames 2..

Gliding over the knives, the beet roots are gradually cut into chips, the latter passing outwardly through the openings provided in the knife-carrying frames 2, into the space between the drum 1 and the housing 19.

Through the throat of the conical section 21, arranged in the lower part of the machine, the chips pass out of the machine for further treatment.

The beet cutter can be operated with the rotor run- `ning at a constant speed, constant cutting velocity for sugar-works equipped with periodic action diffusion apparatus, or at an infinitely variable speed for works equipped with continuous action diffusion apparatus.

It will be obvious to those skilled'in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopeA thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A centrifugal beet cutter comprising a fixed vertical drum, a wear resisting lining on said drum, radial ports in said drum, vertical grooves in said drum adjacent said ports, knife supporting frames slidably received in said grooves, blind frames slidably mounted in said grooves below said knife frames, winch means movably mounted on said drum for selectively engaging a blind frame to raise the same and move the associated knife frame out of the groove, said blind frame moving into the vposition in the groove previously occupied by said knife frame, means for adjusting said knife frames vertically,

Veach adjusting means comprising a strap pivotally mounted onV said drum for disposition over an adjacent groove and for movement away from said groove, an adjusting screw threadedly received in said strap, and a slotted swivel connecting said screw and the adjacent knife frame,

whereby upon operation of said screw the height of the .associated knife frame may be adjusted, a rotor mounted .in said drum for rotation about a vertical axis, said rotor having a conical upper surface, radial blades projecting from said conical surface, said blades being curved rearwardly with respect to the direction of rotation of said rotor, adjustably mounted removable tips on said blades,

means to drive said rotor, a casing surrounding said drum, said casing having a discharge opening at the lower end, and a charging hopper at the upper end of said drum, whereby cut beets pass radially outwardly through said ports into said casing and downwardly through said discharge opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

CARL W. ROBINSON, Examiner. 

